Mazda CX-4 Crossover-SUV Bows in China, Shows Off Hot Style

Mazda’s continual effort towards cashing in on the booming crossover-SUV segment has resulted in the new Mazda CX-4, the sportier, sexier brother of the critically-acclaimed CX-5 crossover.

Unveiled at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show, and developed primarily for the Chinese market, the CX-4 is built on the CX-5’s platform and sports the same 106.3-inch (2.7-meter) wheelbase. It has a lower ground clearance and an overall shorter height largely due to its coupe-like profile.

The CX-4 looks like a baby, more athletic CX-9, and that’s a good thing considering how attractive the latter is. It adopts all the elements of Mazda’s latest design language, including an aggressive front end characterised by a large trapezoidal radiator grille and sweptback headlights with LED technology; a sloping roofline that greatly contributes to a sleek, air-piercing look; and a sporty rear end with a roof-mounted spoiler and twin exhaust tailpipes.

Likewise, the interior is a chip off the CX-9’s block, featuring s a clean, professional and somewhat simple design. Some tech highlights include a seven-inch tablet-style display for infotainment duties and a push-rotary switch behind the gear lever for controlling the infotainment system. There is a conventional parking brake instead of the electric one found in the CX-5

The engine lineup consists of two four-cylinder Skyactiv-G petrol engines, with a 2.0-liter unit rated at 158 horsepower and 149 pound-feet (202 newton meters) of torque serving as the base powerplant. Buyers looking for more power have the option of a 2.5-liter motor that produces 192 hp and 186 lb-ft. (252 Nm).

Front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive comes packaged with models equipped with the 2.5-liter. Average fuel consumption is estimated at 38 miles per gallon (6.2 liters per 100 kilometers) and 32 mpg (7.2 l/100 km), respectively, for both engines.

The new Mazda CX-4 is currently designated as a China-only model; however, considering how red-hot the crossover and SUV segments are around the world, we wouldn’t be surprised if it is eventually offered in North America and Europe.

It’s just too attractive and, if anything like all the other modern Mazdas, too well-built and tuned to be exclusive to just one market. Do you like what you see? Would you consider it for your next vehicle? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

2017 Porsche 718 Cayman Arrives with More Power, Better Performance

Porsche rounded out its 718 lineup by unveiling the 2017 Cayman at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show. The German sports coupe joins the 718 Boxster roadster.

The new 718 Cayman has near identical technical specifications to its soft top counterpart. The naturally-aspirated flat-six engines of the previous model have been replaced with a two-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 300 horsepower and 280lb-ft of torque and, in the more capable Cayman S, a 2.5-liter engine that produces 350 horsepower and 309lb-ft.

Each powerplant boasts 25-horsepower more than their respective predecessor, and Porsche claims that the base Cayman only requires 4.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour, while the Cayman S does the deed in 4.0 seconds flat.

Porsche also re-engineered the suspension and upgraded the brakes to accommodate the increased performance. Depending on the region, a six-speed manual transmission and/or seven-speed PDK twin-clutch automatic will be available.

Torque vectoring is optional, as are various individual upgrades.

For the first time ever, the Cayman is now priced lower than the equivalent Boxster. Prices in the United State start at at $54,950 (including destination) for the base model and at $67,350 for the Cayman S.

Are you happy with the changes made to the new Porsche 718 Cayman? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Citroen C6 Has Been Revived for China Better Than Ever

Four years after the original model was cancelled in Europe, the Citroen C6 has been resurrected as a China-only model, making its world debut at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show.

The new C6 might very well be a Dongfeng Fengshen A9, which itself is based on PSA Peugeot Citroën’s EMP2 platform. It is less distinctively-styled than its predecessor, which , but comes across as a handsome executive sedan that will surely turn heads with its bold grille.

With an overall length of over 16 feet and a wheelbase of 9.5 feet, it offers more than enough roof four give passengers. The luxurious interior can be equipped with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen display for infotainment duties, Nappa leather seats, four-zone automatic climate control, and a panoramic sunroof.

The Citroen C6 is believed to be powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter gasoline engine that produces 204 horsepower and 280 newton meters of torque, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

An even more luxurious DS-branded edition of the large sedan will likely be introduced later on.

Acura CDX Small SUV Debuts in China, Based on Honda HR-V

Acura used the 21016 Beijing Motor Show to show off its newest model, the CDX. The small SUV is the first Acura to be built in China.

Although based on the same platform that underpins the Honda HR-V, the CDX looks completely different from the Honda, featuring a unique front fascia highlighted by a bold hexagonal grille and headlight design inspired by the Acura Precision Concept that debuted earlier at the Detroit Auto Show.

The rear end is more subdued, but still looks like nothing seen on the HR-V.

Opening the front doors reveals a uniquely Acura interior with a higher quality materials and more available options than any Honda of its size.

A 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine is the only powerplant Chinese buyers get, at least initially, and it produces 182 horsepower and 177 lb-ft. of torque. Both front- and all-wheel drive configurations are available, each with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The Acura CDX goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2016. It is unclear if the Japanese automaker will sell the compact luxury crossover in North America, Europe and other markets, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually does considering how red-hot the global crossover-SUV segment is.